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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
12:16
Porphyromonas gingivalis as a Model Organism for Assessing Interaction of Anaerobic Bacteria with Host Cells
Published on: December 17, 2015
Periodontitis: an archetypical biofilm disease.
Christoph Schaudinn1, Amita Gorur, Duane Keller
1Center for Biofilms, School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089, USA.
Journal of the American Dental Association (1939)
|August 6, 2009
Summary
Periodontitis, a biofilm-mediated disease, is difficult to treat with antibiotics due to complex microbial communities. Non-targeted antibiofilm agents, particularly oxidative ones, show promise for effective treatment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Periodontology
- Biofilm Science
Background:
- Periodontitis is a well-established example of a disease caused by microbial biofilms.
- Understanding oral biofilms is crucial for addressing periodontitis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review historical and contemporary perspectives on periodontal oral biofilms.
- To contextualize oral biofilms within the broader field of biofilm microbiology.
Main Methods:
- A review of English-language peer-reviewed publications on microbial biofilms.
- Focus on representative works detailing periodontal oral biofilms.
Main Results:
- Advanced microscopy and molecular microbiology enable more accurate characterization of biofilm-mediated diseases like periodontitis.
- Microbial communities in biofilms, such as those in periodontitis, are complex and resilient.
Conclusions:
- Periodontitis and other biofilm infections are often resistant to conventional antibiotics and host defenses.
- Non-targeted antibiofilm agents, especially those with oxidative properties to disrupt the biofilm matrix, may offer an effective treatment strategy.
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